Cellar Sessions #1 | Darling Sauvignon Blanc

05 Jan Cellar Sessions #1 | Darling Sauvignon Blanc

With thousands of grape varieties out there, about 1,300 of which are used to make wine commercially, we don’t blame you if you find it tricky to identify your Pinot Noir’s from your Pinotage’s. That’s why we’re introducing a new monthly blog, Cellar Sessions, that will focus on the diverse range of wine varieties we grow for Fairview wines, so you can actually find these varieties easily wherever you are in the world, and get to know your grape a little bit better. Just remember that we are speaking in relatively general terms, and there is always room for discrepancies!

So gather around, fellow wine lovers! Our first session begins with one of the most popular South African’s white wines, Sauvignon Blanc!

The Basics:

Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc (say: saw vee nyon blahnk)Origin: Loire Valley, FranceStyle: Dry white wineColour Profile: Bright light greenAroma & Flavour Profile: Traditionally, it is herbal, with green bell pepper and grass on the nose. Our wine is more tropical, with notes of green figs and nettle.Key Regions Planted: France, Australia, Chile, Brazil, New Zealand, USA and South AfricaFood pairing: Sauvignon blanc with its more herbal flavours and zesty-like character make it a terrific wine to use with foods that use more green vegetables in their preparation and goes well with lighter vinegar-based sauces or green sauces. Great with our Crottin cheese!

Our Story:

Sauvignon Blanc is South Africa’s sweetheart, much beloved as a choice, refreshing drink in the summer. Traditionally, the grapes are grown out in cool climate regions, so we opted to plant our vines in the Darling region. Here, you can see the ocean from our vineyard, meaning that the cool Atlantic winds create a more refined wine that offers a subtle salty minerality at the core.

Over the years, our winemaker’s have worked carefully with this zesty French grape variety, producing single variety bottlings and blending it into some of our most special creations, such as our brand new Bordeaux-inspired blend called Drie Papen Fontein.